Microsoft has filed a patent for a system that could potentially use a camera to determine whether you're breaking its content-viewing rules or not. US Patent Application 20120278904 describes the ability to use a Kinect-like camera-enabled device for "continuously monitoring a number of users at a display device during the performance of [some] content," which basically means the camera would watch the faces of anyone watching a display showing licensed content (like a movie or a game), and then track those faces to see if the viewers had appropriately licensed it.

The patent lists a number of options for determining the validity of the possible viewers, including counting their number (as in, making sure only three people were able to see a movie), or actually identifying specific users (to make sure Julie isn't watching a movie that Mark was only licensed to see). The patent itself doesn't specifically mention Kinect, but it does mention the idea of a "gaming and media system" as well as "mobile devices" with the same capability.

Obviously, such a system would have some weaknesses (could you use a picture or a sculpture to spoof the camera?), and the patent states at the end that this is just one possible implementation of a setup like this. But Microsoft is apparently thinking about using Kinect's ability to recognize you for more than just throwing around spells and playing games. In the future, that camera may be used to figure out whether you're following the rules or not.

What would they do if the people just put a piece of tape over the camera? Come to their house in black suits and beat them up? I guess the suits would more likely just deliver the dreaded "papers" instead.

Sha what are you using as a search engine? All the articles you are linking are from years ago. There must be some more recent ones about people using Kinect for sexy time. It must be happening but I'm just too lazy to search for it. Link something more recent.

And Microsoft complains about Google collecting consumer information? So yeah the patent is real ( http://appft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PG01&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=%2220120278904%22.PGNR.&OS=DN/20120278904&RS=DN/20120278904 ) and what gives them the right to say how many people or who can watch something I purchased? There has seriously got to be a limit to this content licensing bull. That's one thing about Microsoft that disgusts me is they basically pioneered the whole 'licensing' model for software and taking it yet another step further and trying to get that made so even with digital entertainment only a specific number of people can enjoy it? Ridiculous.

I wouldn't wish MS on anyone - it's a terrible thing. I imagine if it came for me I'd need to move to another state - maybe Colorado - depending on the severity of my symptoms and need to self-medicate.